Meet Mark

Let me introduce myself. My name is Mark Sisson. I’m 63 years young. I live and work in Malibu, California. In a past life I was a professional marathoner and triathlete. Now my life goal is to help 100 million people get healthy. I started this blog in 2006 to empower people to take full responsibility for their own health and enjoyment of life by investigating, discussing, and critically rethinking everything we’ve assumed to be true about health and wellness...

The Context of Calories

Many people think weight loss is simply about cutting calories. But context counts here, too. Calories do have context and that’s what I want to explore today. Is a calorie from fat the same as a calorie from protein or carbohydrate? Depends on the context. Does day-to-day calorie monitoring make any difference if your week-to-week weight and energy expenditure are dialed in? Maybe not.

Most people (even many scientists) believe that the body composition challenge is a relatively simple equation: to lose weight you must reduce calories (either eat less or burn more), to gain weight you must add calories, and to maintain weight you keep calories constant. Calories in over calories out.

The truth is, it’s more like a complex equation where you have to factor in many other very important variables: Do I want to lose weight or just body fat? Do I want to gain weight or just muscle? How much muscle do I want to put on and how fast? What is my personal genetic “range” or limit for body fat or muscle? These are all different contexts. And these are further affected by supply (types and quantity of foods as well as frequency of meals) and metabolic demand (your relative immediate need for either energy, repair, or building). In the short-term, they are rate-limited by hormones (insulin, glucagon, epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, cortisol etc). And in the long-term the range (or limits) of possible outcomes is determined by gene expression (5’8” ectomorphs simply can’t become 275-lb body-builders, but they can be well-proportioned 165-lb men or 135-lb women.). The context can also change day-to-day. That’s where you come in as the director.

Fat burning, glucose burning, ketone burning, glycogen storage, fat storage, gluconeogenesis, and protein turnover. All of these energy-related processes are going on simultaneously in each of us at all times. But the rate at which each of these processes happens is different in each of us and they can increase or decrease (sometimes dramatically) depending on the context of our present circumstances and our long term goals. All of these contexts utilize the same gene-based principles of energy metabolism – the biochemical machinery that we all share – but because they all involve different starting points as well as different goals or possible outcomes, they often require different action plans. We can alter the rate at which each of these metabolic processes happens simply by changing what and when we eat. We can change the context.

The RD’s will tell you that protein has four calories per gram, so when you figure your daily intake, budget calories accordingly. But protein is used by the body mostly for maintaining structure and function. Yes, it can be burned as fuel, but really only as a secondary source, and even then, it must be converted to glucose to be utilized. So, depending on the need within the body, the first 10, 20 or 30 grams of protein might go towards repair and growth – not energy. Do we therefore discount those first 30 grams when we “count calories?” Depends on the context. If you don’t exercise much and eat frequently and copiously all the time, maybe most of the protein you eat will count more towards your calorie budget (since your structural protein turnover is relatively less). On the other hand, if you run yourself ragged, are under a great deal of stress (lots of catabolic hormones) and generally don’t get much protein, maybe most of that one high-protein meal goes toward repair and won’t be called upon as fuel for days or weeks. Or maybe you’re coming off an IF day. Does it really count as calories today if it isn’t burned or stored as fat? If those protein calories today go to adding lean mass (muscle) that is retained for years, do those calories count today? Then again, as muscle it does offer a potential long-term stored source of energy when gluconeogenesis is increased. See what I mean? Depends on the context.

Fats aren’t just for fuel either. They can be integral parts of all cell membranes and hormones and can serve as critical protective cushioning for delicate organs. At what point do the fats we consume stop becoming structural and start becoming calorically dense fuel? Depends again on the context. If there’s a ton of carbohydrates accompanying the fat on a daily basis, it’s pretty certain that that fat will be stored as adipose tissue sooner rather than later. That’s nine calories per gram in the tank for future use (if ever). And that’s what adds up over time when you weigh yourself. OTOH, if you’ve withheld carbs for a few days and your insulin remains low, the fats from this meal might be used quickly to provide fuel for normal resting metabolic processes.

Keep your carbs low enough long enough and you get into ketosis, a fat-burning state that creates what many now refer to as the “metabolic advantage.” In this context, fats are fueling most of the body’s energy demands either directly as fatty acids or as the fat-metabolism byproducts called ketones. To the delight of those looking to burn off unwanted fat, it gets better. The body balances the acidic effect of any excess ketones by either excreting them in the urine (in today’s $5 a gallon economy, isn’t that wasting fuel?) and by using ketones and fatty acids to create a bit more glucose for the brain via gluconeogenesis in a fairly “energy inefficient” process.

Finally, let’s look at the lowly carbohydrate and its four calories per gram. All carbs are broken down into simple sugars, and eventually (and almost always) into glucose. The primary use of glucose from all carbohydrate food is as fuel, whether burned immediately as it passes by different organs and muscles or whether stored for later use. The brain, red blood cells, and nerve cells prefer glucose as primary fuel (but don’t absolutely require it – they can use ketones). Muscles that are working hard will prefer glucose if it is available, but don’t absolutely require it unless they are working very hard for very long. If it is not burned immediately as fuel, excess glucose will be first stored as glycogen in muscle and liver cells and then, if or when these glycogen storage depots are full, it will be converted to fatty acids and stored in fat cells as fat. The things to remember about carbs and to put into context: Carbs are not used as structural components in the body – they are used only as a form of fuel; glucose in the bloodstream is toxic to humans UNLESS it is being burned immediately as fuel. (For reference, “normal” blood sugar represents only about one teaspoon of glucose dissolved in the entire blood pool in your body). That’s why insulin is so critical to taking it out of the bloodstream and putting it somewhere FAST, like muscle cells or fat cells. Moreover, humans can exist quite easily without ever eating carbs, since the body has several mechanisms for generating glucose from the fat and proteins consumed, as well as from proteins stripped from muscle tissue. For all these reasons, in the PB-style of eating, carbs are lowest priority. Unless your context includes lots of endurance activities (or storing fat) there’s little reason to overdo the carbs (USDA and RDs’ recommendations notwithstanding).

So what’s the take home message from all this? To be honest, I thought maybe you could tell me! Maybe it’s that by understanding how these metabolic processes work, and knowing that we can control the rates at which each one happens through our diet (and exercise) we needn’t agonize over the day-to-day calorie counting. As long as we are generally eating a PB-style plan and providing the right context, our bodies will ease into a healthy, fit, long-lived comfort zone rather effortlessly.

Leave a Reply

Great post, guys. I have long thought that the “black box” theory of calories in, calories out doesn’t make much sense in the real world. I always tried to put it in environment context though. I’d never really thought about the metabolic context. I feel much educated. What’s my takeaway message? The thing that I have learned most from you guys over the past year: you should tailor your food not just to your goals but to your activities as well. It sounds so simple when I type it out like that but for me it was a revelation. Thanks!

Really great post. It all depends what you want and its so important to be keeping healthy and making the good choices- and to figure out what kind of fuel our bodies need for what we require of them.

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Pat

9 years 7 months ago

I just started using the food log on fitday.com, as suggested by Mark a few months ago. I believe I am pretty active and eat well, well, not according to you all, as I do eat some carbs. It has been an eye opener to see what the breakdown of my diet really is. I’m happy to say that I’m usually pretty well covered nutritionally, but i want to take off the ten pounds I put on accidentally. So, Mark, what percentage of one’s diet should be appropriated to proteins, fats, and carbohydrates? BTW, I find the info fitday fascinating… Read more »

The point I was trying to make here is that there is no set percentage formula. It all depends on your “context” and what you are trying to achieve. It’s almost never about percentages of Fat/Pro/Cho, but rather figuring your exact “average” requirements of each individual nutrient. It’s different for everyone. I guess I’ll do a follow-up post to go into the “math” of figuring out your daily needs with some examples.

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Kelly

7 years 15 days ago

Hi Mark, I love what you’re doing to help us all here!! I do have a question about this as well, I’m looking back to see where I was loosing weight and what %’s I was taking in, would that be the recommended way to determine what my requirements are to loose weight? The last couple weeks I haven’t budged but weight wise, although I feel it, but wondering if this is how I can hone into how my body reacts to what I’m taking in….. I’m looking all around the site and dont see where you might have posted… Read more »

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Dana

6 years 10 months ago

As much as people from all dietary backgrounds love to riff on Atkins, that’s actually a good start. If you have body fat to lose, start at 20g of carbs a day, then up your intake by about 5 or 10g a week. (If you’re really carb-sensitive, better make it 5.) The Eadeses in their book Protein Power also give a method of calculating lean mass so you can figure out your protein needs (they also factor in activity level). It’s a starting point from which to experiment, anyway.

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willyd

9 years 7 months ago

I do 65% fat 30% protien and 5% carbs just because i want to lose weight as fast as i can.

I wrote Mark awhile back and as part of that exchange I identified my carb intake as being 60-80 grams a day. I thought I was closer to 60 most days than 80s. Well here’s the numbers over the last couple of weeks according to Fitday: Average Calories grams cals %total Total: 1674 Fat: 92 831 50% Sat: 29 262 16% Poly: 15 136 8% Mono: 31 278 17% Carbs: 95 345 21% Fiber: 8 0 0% Protein: 95 380 23% Alcohol: 15 106 6% If you told me that I would average 1674 calories, I would think that I’d… Read more »

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Joe

9 years 7 months ago

Dave, you’re trying to burn fat but eating 831 calories of fat a day. You want to see why you are not losing fat faster, look at that.

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Dana

6 years 10 months ago

I think you need to read Mark’s post again, Joe.

Although if he’s above his carb tolerance at 90+ grams a day, and has his insulin up as a result, of course the dietary fat will be stored. But if he gets his carbs lower that won’t necessarily be true.

Joe,
I’m not sure that is necessarily true.
You need to get your calories from somewhere.
According to the PB, Grok’s diet consisted mostly of fat and protein. If Dave cuts out all those healthy fat calories, how will he replace them?
I wouldn’t mind hearing what Mark S. has to say about it.

you’re trying to burn fat but eating 831 calories of fat a day. You want to see why you are not losing fat faster, look at that. That flies in the face of everything I’ve come to believe over the last year of reading this blog, several others, and Gary Taubes’ book. One of the mantras I’ve repeated in discussing diet in other forums is that “eating fat doesn’t make you fat.” My fat consumption has stayed pretty constant over the last 11 months, including a three month period where I dropped 30 pounds. I’m still losing but it’s been… Read more »

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willyd

9 years 7 months ago

Eating fat dosn”t make you fat,but if you eat to many carbs with that fat it will.I tried adding in berries iam to carb sensitive,i stick with fat mostly saturated,meat,and a little veggies.As soon as i cut the beer out i started lossing again.

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Arthur

9 years 7 months ago

Guys, don’t forget that the scale isn’t the best thing to look at sometimes. Depending on your hydration levels and whether you’ve excreted your bowels that day, I’d give or take 5 lbs.

Overnight, I lose around 5 lbs, after I wake up and pee.

I’d say go for bodyfat % measurements to see how much leaner you are.

And a mirror doesn’t lie, as long as your brain is willing to not lie to you about how you feel about yourself!

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Dana

6 years 10 months ago

Getting bodyfat measurements can be weird if you don’t have access to the accurate methods for whatever reason. Might be better just to measure waist and hips and thighs and upper arms once a week or once a month. The scale can at least demonstrate a trend but I tend to weigh once a week, not once a day.

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Desi

6 years 7 months ago

Very very true.. I had dropped weight to 125 from 142 and was at 23.6% bf then noticed a big change in my body, I went up to 129-130 depending on the time of day lol, and my bf dropped to 20.6.

I cut the carbs out entirely went through the candida die off phase and about two months in I am loving it all. My cloths fit better and I don’t mind the 5lb weight gain of muscle, because I am LOVING that 20.6% Scale numbers can be dangerous if you don’t consider your bf%…. 🙂

Arthur: Yep, that’s true. That’s why I gave up my weekly “Tale of the Scale” on my blog. If it just happened I was a little “backed up” on Fridays, then it looked like I wasn’t making any progress. But I assure you that I’ve had enough “carb events” to be convinced there is a correlation that goes beyond a liquid/waste variance.

Perfect discussion to reflect upon the post. When Dave (or anyone) has a great couple of days or weeks of low carb eating, the body gets into a fat-burning mode. Doesn’t matter that he gets 831 calories from fat because he does need a minimum number of calories to cover his daily needs and it has to come from somewhere if not from carbs (or else he would burn muscle off as well as fat). As long as his daily protein is high enough to repair and build muscle and a little extra to offer up as glucose through gluconeogenesis,… Read more »

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dragonmamma

9 years 7 months ago

I’ve known for a long time that a 100 calorie piece of candy is processed differently than a 100 calorie apple. But it’s only within the past few months that I figured out (largely with the info from Mark’s Daily Apple) that grains have a huge effect on my body composition. When I knock off the grains for a week, I’m visibly leaner and harder. A couple days back on the grains and boom!, I’ll start looking and feeling squishy around the middle. I believe it goes beyond the water retention that comes with carbs. On the other hand, my… Read more »

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Alex

9 years 7 months ago

Informative and helpful post (and comments). Thanks!
I haven’t figured myself out quite yet (you’d think by now…). It’s part of my 30 day challenge to do that (or at least start paying a little more attention). I plan and plan, but don’t always follow-up with a little day-to-day observation.

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Pat

9 years 7 months ago

Well, then, I guess I’m a failure:( I’m pretty well finished eating for the day here on the East Coast and my breakdown is as follows: 1509 Calories 61 Grams Fat (little Saturated) 140 Grams Carbs (whoops, but mostly fruit and veggies 108 Protein I move around on a daily basis, skating, biking, walking rounds of golf and lift weights twice a week. Just excluding alcohol and sweets from my diet has made my clothing looser in a few days. I am sucked into watching fluctuating numbers on the scale. BTW, I’m 5′ 4″ and weigh 134, but my Body… Read more »

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Arthur

9 years 7 months ago

Pat,

Trust me, excluding grains isn’t too tough. Once you get past the three weeks phase of excluding them, you don’t crave them anymore. Keep your resolve high! You can do it.

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Sue

9 years 7 months ago

Pat, slice off some of those carbs (dare I say atleast half of them) and I think you weight will start going downwards.

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Trinkwasser

9 years 5 months ago

Good stuff. From a diabetic perspective I found this paper covers much of 21st century dietary theory http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/31 more excellent stuff on that site. I don’t have to bother with weight reduction as I’m generally a skinny bastard anyway, the only thing that made me put on weight was the Healthy High Carb Low Fat diet and IMO it’s a toss up between the high carbs and the low fat as to which had most effect in worsening my BG and lipids. There’s no doubt in my mind that metabolism is several orders of magnitude more complicated than the soundbytes… Read more »

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mgood66

9 years 1 month ago

So, not sure if this discussion is still active, but I’m curious: do I count calories overall or not? And further, is it possible too have too few calories?

I’ve been doing PB for a while, segued into it from more general low-carb. I turn those ketostix a lovely shade of purple, but just don’t seem to be losing any weight. I’m working out (turbulence training), and I track everything I put in my mouth. Keep calories to about 1800 or so a day. Help!

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Dana

6 years 10 months ago

1800 calories is semi-starvation, if I’m not mistaken. Fitday tracks micronutrients as well as macro and calories… make sure you’re getting what you need. I was reading over at WholeHealthSource that merely supplementing with a multivitamin encouraged weight loss in obese people. I suspect what people think of as “starvation mode” on very low calorie diets is actually malnutrition that shuts down metabolism. I mean, from what I can tell, *ketosis* is starvation mode, and most people lose weight with that if everything else is working properly.

If you truly eat “Primally” there’s no need to count calories. But I ‘d need more info, like where are you at in weight and body fat? where do you want to be? are you sprinting ever? etc.

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mgood66

9 years 1 month ago

I’m hovering around 200. 42 years old, 5’9″, probably around 17 or 18% bodyfat. I do HIIT 3-4 times a week on an eliptical trainer. Bad feet, so running/sprints not really an option. Not sure if it’s the fish oil, PB, vitamin D or what, but I feel great. I really even notice a lot of mental fog has disappeared (didn’t even know it was there until it was gone), but the fat loss just doesn’t seem to be happening. Could I actually need to bump UP calories? I’ve even been doing a fast once a week, thinking of going… Read more »

Mark, I hate to be so picky, but just wanted to point out that Carbohydrates are used structurally. Many post-translational proteins and membrane lipids are glycosylated in order to become biologically active. And what about the extremely prevalent carbohydrate ribose? It is found in every cell as a component of RNA, DNA, ATP, etc! The point being, the food we eat, even carbohydrates, are much more than just sources of energy. And, I agree with you, we are fools to think that we can over simplify such a complex phenomenon such as cellular biochemistry to help us lose a few… Read more »

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Dana

6 years 10 months ago

Your body can make sugar, though. So there’s no need to eat the stuff in order to have sugars to use structurally. In fact it can be dangerous, because it doesn’t take much to go over your structural requirement for ribose or whatever, and then you wind up with all that surplus glucose that your body has to get rid of *right now.* This, by the way, is why glucose has been termed the body’s preferred fuel. It is not because your body sits around going, “Gee, I believe I would like some sugar right now.” It’s because when that… Read more »

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Phil

8 years 27 days ago

Hi Guys, appreciate any advice people can offer…Im 5’8, 143 pounds (about 120 pounds lean BW). I train 4-5 times a week, mostly following crossfit workouts. I’ve been working on my food log, but somedays the calories Im consuming seem low around 1800, with the highest day around 2350. Do I need to be consuming more food if I want to increase my muscle mass? My protein intake is already over the suggested 1 pound per pound lean BW, and my fat intake is around 50% of my calories, and my carbs are around 110g a day. So do I… Read more »

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Phil

8 years 27 days ago

Sorry guys, I mean 1g/pound of bodyweight for my protein!

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Carrie

8 years 4 days ago

How much is 100-150 grams of carbs I am realy confussed. How do I know how many calories I should eat in a day, I want to loose 10 pounds, I am 130lbs now (female) I workout lots weights and cardio, people say I look good. I just have a goal that I want to get to and 10 pounds good on my legs arms and butt. I have tried everything my weight does not want to budge. I am really frustrated please help, I am reading the primal blueprints book but getting more frustrated and confussed. Please Help!

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Charlie Golf

7 years 10 months ago

These are all from fitday.com. 3 cups cooked, instant oatmeal = 128g of carbohydrate. 2 large, white baked potatoes = 97g. 3 cups cooked, white rice is about 130g. 3 cups cooked, white spaghetti = 129g. 4 large apples = 117g. 8 cups of cooked broccoli = 105g I just recently got turned on to MDA and its basic premise is similar to another format I saw a while ago that requires some counting. Basically, you take your (realistic) goal weight and multiply by 10 for base calories. (This assumes 1 hour of exercise per week.) For each additional hour,… Read more »

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Dana

6 years 10 months ago

I’m going to give you recommendations from two different low-carb books. One will require that you get the book, but you can find it secondhand. (I’ve seen it at Half-Price Books for a dollar in their clearance section. Goodwill might sometimes carry it too.) Carb intake: If you want to know what your body can tolerate, and you want to kick off fat-burning, do your carb intake Atkins-style. Start out at 20g a day for two weeks. That’s 20g digestible carbohydrate, anything that would affect your blood sugar. Fiber is a gimme because you can’t digest it. Then, after that… Read more »

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Fry

7 years 10 months ago

“Carbs are not used as structural components in the body”

I am new to PB and I am liking what I am reading. One problem I had with this post is in the above statement. I just finished my biochemistry course and carbohydrates are used all the time for various structures in the body. For example, polysaccharides (carbs) are often found in conjunction with proteins and lipids in/on cell membranes and play roles in cell communication. Any thoughts Mark?

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Dana

6 years 10 months ago

I’m not Mark, but your body is capable of making the sugars it needs. (The nutritional definition of “essential” is “anything your body needs to live and function that it cannot make for itself.” There is no essential carbohydrate.) If you eat way more carb than your body needs for whatever structures, etc., then it has to be burned as fuel or stored as fat because it’s too dangerous to just leave floating around in the body.

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Brian

5 years 20 days ago

The same can be said for most fats, aside from the essential lipids (the fat-soluble vitamins and the n3 and n6 polyunsaturated fats). Beyond needing a small amount of very specific fats, our body is capable of synthesizing its own lipids (saturated fat, n9 fatty acids, and cholesterol, to name a few). The argument that there is no essential carbohydrate doesn’t imply our body has no use for them–indeed, the very fact we can turn carbs into fat but NOT vice versa has stronger implications for the versatility of carbohydrates in the diet.

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Melinda

7 years 9 months ago

I came across this site today and will be incorporating these things into my eating plan. I’ve actually lowered my sugar intake over the last 4 weeks significantly and I’ve kept my carbs down to 120 to 150g per day. I put my workouts on a calendar and will start in earnest tomorrow (Monday) alternating low impact cardio, weight lifting and high impact cardio. I want to know how to figure out my caloric range. I’m 36, 199lbs, 5’3′, and primarly a endomorph but it easy to put on muscle. Mark thank you in advance for any info regarding my… Read more »

Excellent post. This is perfect for my sister who is 2 years older then me. We had a loud argument about a month ago over the fact that a calorie is a calorie. I said it was NOT while she kept on claiming that it is.

This article is about to be e-mailed to her 🙂

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Clinton

7 years 6 months ago

Since beginning this approach, I’ve tried to use hunger as a guide for what and when I should eat (within the PB guidelines, of course). Well, I’ve noticed that my calories are going down. I’m losing body fat but maintaining muscle mass. I wonder if these foods allow the cells of the body to work more efficiently and thus reduce the body’s daily caloric requirement.

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Justin

7 years 5 months ago

So, I just read all the posts and am more confused than when i started. I’m 29, 5ft9in I weigh 185lbs and need to be at 155-160. I started eating Primal three days ago and already feel the difference. Where should my calorie/carb/fat intake be if i am eating all the right foods?

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kellet

7 years 3 months ago

I was 180 pounds on my 5-6″ frame the end of may. This am I was 136 pounds. I bench 260 and leg press 450+ for 12. I have been off all grain and beans for a month or so and my strength is continuing to grow. i am very insulin sensitive. Any sugar (even in fruit) jacks me up now. I am never really hungry and have not wanted bread for a while. I absolutly dont want beans or rice. I have no desire for sugar. even creame in coffee is getting to be too sweet for me. For… Read more »

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Sonja Stendera

6 years 6 months ago

well, also I am not pro-carb, I still doubt that only by eating primal I will loose weight. I tried a kind of Atkins diet for two weeks and had an eye on the cals, but was not counting…and of course gained weight! if I could just eat primally and lose weight, sorry, but that sounds to good to be true. I still believe that calories count, no matter of context. I mean, it is the law, the more in, the more weight, the less in the less weight and equal in & out = maintaining weight (and body composition).… Read more »

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catherine

6 years 5 months ago

So if we leave off proteins which are used fro reconstruction, then its about choosing where your fuel comes from; either carbs or fat. carbs are 4 cal/gr. and fat 9cal/gr. so technically I get to eat more with a low fat diet than a low carb. Now if I eat excess carbs so I get excess energy which is stored as fat then 40% of the extra carb will be used in converting glucose to fat. However, extra fat will go straight as fat. I don,t know for you but I still prefer the high carb choice… Now of… Read more »

Great article Andrew. We are UK based e-tailer and currently use a UK ecommerce platform called Tiger Commerce. Cost us £80.00 (approx $130 USD) for the year Special Offer. Normally £20 mth (approx $30 USD) .. Free 14-Day trial, No set up fees, no transactional fees, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited products and categories, unlimited storage, though a templated design you can easily change the basic appearance to suit your brand via their fairly competent and intuitive back end CP. Tiger has been a good platform for us in launching our 3 sites which we have been operating for approx 18 months.… Read more »

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marie

5 years 11 months ago

was wondering if you can tell me if coconut oil in a low carb diet counts in your total caloric intake? I am having a stall was wondering if i need to reduce my calories since i’ve added the coconut oil?

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Michelle Bunderson

5 years 6 months ago

Hi all, Not sure if these posts are still being read? I am a complete newbie to being Primal and am so excited to have started this lifestyle…HOWEVER, I have some questions and concerns due to my longstanding relationship with Conventional Wisdom. I was hoping some of the veterans could possibly help me out? Again not sure if anyway will respond to this but worth giving it a go 🙂 Firstly, let me just introduce myself- I’m Michelle and have been in the health/fitness industry for the past 10 years. I have literally put my body through more experiments than… Read more »

Hi Michelle, I was just reading through some past posts here on MDA to try to remind myself more about getting into ketosis and I saw your comment. I’m not sure exactly how to answer but I think what you are for asking is for some reassurance about this way of eating. I can say that all that personally matters to me when I eat this way, apart from the quality of the food I’m eating, is the total amount of carbohydrate that I ingest. That is the sole determining factor for weight loss for me. And I am pretty… Read more »

There’s a bit of misinformation in this article which should be noted: our body CANNOT create glucose out of any fat or fat-derived ketones. The only part of a triglyceride which can be converted to glucose is the glycerol bit. All fats and ketones can only be utilized through the TCA cycle, which means that they are incapable of supporting anaerobic exercise. So while muscles certainly don’t require carbs to perform work, they will sorely miss them. Without carbs, our muscles are limited to low-intensity work, except for the brief few seconds of energy powered by the phosphocreatine system, which… Read more »

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Tanya

3 years 11 months ago

Hi there Mark

I was wondering if my daily calorie intake should change to as and what I’m doing. E.g more on training days and less on non training days and should I work it on a weekly bases and change and manage as I go ?

So what you are saying is that if you eat 1600 calories from pure white sugar and burn 1800 calories during the day. You will more likely than not feel like sh*t and be skinny and have other issues. But you will lose weight. So if you eat 400g of carbs a day you will still lose weight. That has to be clearly said too from time to time. A sportsman that burns 3600 calories a day. No problems to slim down with 900g of carbs xD. Just mention that too from time to time please. You can even add… Read more »

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